“Hello?” I questioned as my cell phone rang and it showed my doctor was calling.
“I’m calling from the VA Hospital imaging Center. You have an order for a mammogram. Can I help you schedule that?”
“Why, yes. That would be great!” I replied in a sheepish voice, as my physical was weeks ago and I was told to call and schedule this preventative appointment. “When is your next available appointment?”
“Could you come Sunday momrning at 8:30am?”
“That would be perfect! Yes,” I answered. Sure, it is the first Sunday of my Spring Break I think to myself but I’m not traveling until Monday. And then I won’t have to take time off from work.
So this is why I found myself walking four blocks over to the hospital center two Sundays ago. I entered a brand new building, one I had watched for the past year being built. I was greeted by a friendly receptionist who told me the woman’s imaging center was to my left. Once I logging into the electronic ipad, I was called backed within minutes. I was handed a warm pink smock and directed to the changing room and the hallway of lockers to store my personal belongings. A patient technician described each step of the process and clearly directed me through the four images taken.
“We are half-way through….Now just one more, place your right hand here and turn your head to the left. I know I talk alot but I always finds it helps to know what is happening.”
“I totally agree. It does help!”
By 9am, I was walking back home, by way of my favorite bakery. Yesterday I remembered to check my patient portal and the results reported that there was nothing unusual. This is want I call A+ service!
#GratefulforHealthCare
Writing Stories by Sally 
I have always found the people who work at places like this to be so kind. I’m glad you had a pleasant experience. It’s so important to be proactive with your health. I’m glad you celebrated with a treat!
LikeLike
How convenient to have them call and to be able to walk to the appointment. I generally find that people performing mammograms are very empathetic and that helps the process. Glad it all was relatively easy and the results were good.
LikeLike
Sheepish is such a perfect word for that feeling. Nice how convenient it ended up being- you could even walk there. Positive and grateful as ever, you dont complain about the squishing!
LikeLike
This sounds like a kind of place where they want to make you comfortable and happy. Check, check, and check!
LikeLike
Sally,
How convenient to have a medical center four blocks away. And good news w/ a bakery stop is perfect. My last mammogram was the first day of the Stafford Poetry Challenge, January 17, so I wrote my first poem of the challenge about it. It’s short, so I’ll share it. I also created a Canva.
“Mammogram”
boobs
laid flat
smashed
LikeLike
Sunday mammograms?! That’s impressive. We only have five days a week here.
Even though I’ve been through six or seven mammograms, I always appreciate the direction from the tech.
LikeLike
Sally, you make this sound like an almost pleasant experience. But, as Glenda’s poem points out, I do know the other aspect of it. I’m so glad you got good news, and a side trip to the bakery sounds like a win-win.
LikeLike
I had a very similar experience, right down to the clear explanations and “warm pink smock.” Sundays! Imagine that. (I also had a delightful chat with both the mammographer(?) and a woman in the waiting room, both of us somewhat surprised to see each other on a Sunday!)
LikeLike